title: Human alveolar fractal dimension in normal and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease subjects.
abstract: We have determined that fractal analysis of the alveolar perimeter (Df) changes with aging in human lung tissue in twenty-nine patients, age range of 25 hours to 76 years, who died of non-respiratory related causes. There was a very significant difference (p = 0.0004) in Df between the young (less than 16 years old, N = 9, mean Df of 1.047 [0.01]) and adult (greater than 16 years old, N = 20, mean Df of 1.093 [0.013]) groups. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in Df between the Adult group and the group of patients who died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, N = 10) (p = 0.012). Additionally, the Df values for the COPD and cystic fibrosis (CF, N = 5) groups were virtually identical; 1.061 and 1.070, respectively. Regression analysis showed a significant (p = 0.0041) exponential relationship with a correlation coefficient of 0.59 between aging and Df. We have demonstrated that the correlation between Df and aging in humans is an exponential function and that the end-stage pulmonary diseases of COPD and CF decrease Df.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Arizona Health Sciences Center, Tucson 85724, USA.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Witten
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Tinajero
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Sobonya
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lantz
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Lemen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D017709:Fractals; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000473:pathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis